Friday 14 July 2006 19.08 EDT
First published on Friday 14 July 2006 19.08 EDT

The story so far ... Akash Sultan lives with his mother Fatima, brother Anwer, 24, and half-sister Jui, 15. His brother Anwer has just got married in Bangladesh, and is staying there for a while to look after their father.

Akash and his family have had a busy month. They have sold the family home and Akash and Jui are staying with their sister and her husband and son. Their mum has returned to Bangladesh to look after their father, who has been unwell. Jui has finished her GCSEs and Akash has been on pilgrimage.

The main family unit is now just two - with their mother and brother now returned home. Akash and Jui are looking for a new house in Bow, so that they can be closer to their sister. Akash is also in the process of selling the flat that he lived in before his family came over from Bangladesh. There's a tenant living there at the moment, and he's waiting for him to leave. "It's always been a bit of a headache," he explains, "because if anything goes wrong, the tenant calls you and you have to sort it out. I'm just looking forward to having the money in my hands again and then I can start looking for somewhere else."

Akash's job as a family support worker has been busy, too. The centre is turning into a SureStart children's centre, and there's a lot of paperwork to fill out. "There are so many forms and so much information to give out. It all impacts on the time that I have with the clients. Also, because I can translate Bengali, that's become a big extra part of my work. I have to put my foot down, otherwise I'd still be in the office at 8pm every night."

Akash's father has been very ill, and is waiting for an operation to remove gallstones. His mother is all right about being back there looking after him, but she doesn't like the food. Bangladeshi rice isn't as refined as the sort that you can buy in the UK, and she complains that there's not the same range of vegetables. Akash's sister is going out to see her next month and has been ordered to bring a supply of pickles.

Akash went alone on the hajj. He visited Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia. He'd been planning to do it for a long time - six years ago he had an operation for a stomach complaint and he promised himself that if he got better he would go on pilgrimage. But this year was the first time that he had enough money to do so.

It was very busy and very hot, around 50C. He was disappointed by the lack of integration between Muslims from different countries. "There was a feeling that if you were from Bangladesh, that was a poor country and you weren't worth talking to."

Jui's exams went well, and she's waiting for her results. Akash is still looking for a college for her to go to next year. They've been getting prospectuses and looking at various options, but it's difficult not knowing where they'll be based, and trying to work out the best travel routes.

Meanwhile ...

The WatkinsesKate's been applying for new jobs. There's a 4-metre trampoline in their garden, and half the local children all come round to bounce on it.

The BanhamsThey are going to the Scilly Isles for a week with Amanda's family. Then the older boys are going to stay with their father.

The KitsonsEllen is back from her holiday in Jamaica, and pleased that the English weather is currently similar to that in the Caribbean.

· The Story of Childhood: Growing up in Modern Britain, by Libby Brooks, is out now, priced at £8.99